As I Lay Dying
by Luthien Luinwe
Summary: "Don't worry, Katara. I'll be fine," I say weakly. I watch as the door closes. Just before it does, I hear the blind girl say, "He's lying." There was a tone of sorrow in her voice. A bit of Jet X Katara, Oneshot


**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, a sad fact, but a true one. Well, here's just a little depressing fic I wrote to help me cure my writer's block. Hope you enjoy! R&R please.**

I feel the awful pain. I know my breaths are numbered. I had saved Aang, and I guess that's all that really matters. He would go on and live and save the world, and I wouldn't. Katara will live to love again. I will never get that chance. Longshot and Smellerbee might finally realize they're meant for each other. I will never have a soul mate. Even as I lay dying, I can't stop thinking of her.

Silver tears are running down her beautiful face. She watches as I take breath after shaky, labored breath. I know she will try to help me. I know that there's nothing she can do. She can only heal wounds on the outside of the body. Ironically enough, my injury had something to do with my heart, which is internal. Water keeps flowing from her gorgeous eyes. Those tears are for me. I wish she wouldn't cry.

Smellerbee and Longshot know, I know they do. I, their fearless leader, have fallen. I, their fearless leader, will _not _stand back up. They would kill Long Feng, I knew they would. He had fled, but I knew that they would find him. They wouldn't let my sacrifice go in vain.

There is so much that I want to say. I want to apologize for attacking Aang, but I can't find the words. I look at him as if to say, "I'm sorry," and he seems to understand. I know they need to leave me, and I know they won't unless they're sure that I'm fine. I'm everything but fine. I know that I'm dying, and truth be told, I am not afraid. I will finally see my family and my friends from when I was little again. How can I possibly be afraid of that?

Katara runs over to me. Her eyes meet mine one more time. She pulls out her water, and uses her abilities to try and save me. I know that it will not work. "This is bad," she says, realizing she can't do anything to help me. I want to touch her hand, to tell her everything will be okay. I want to lie through my teeth just to see her be happy. I can't do that, though.

The Avatar misses his bison. I can see this clearly. I hope that Smellerbee will tell them to go on. I hope that they will leave me. For once, I want them to _let _me be the hero. I don't want to earn it. The pain I feel is nearly unbearable, but I refuse to let them know this. What I feel physically is only a paper cut compared to the emotional agony I am feeling.

"You guys go find Appa, we'll take care of Jet," I hear Smellerbee say. I knew what this meant. Back home, we always discussed what would happen if one of us were fatally wounded.

_Jet looked at his fellow Freedom Fighters. "Everyone, I want you to know, and I hope I am never in this situation," he said. "If I am ever wounded badly, I want one of you to end it."_

"We're not leaving you!" Katara exclaimed. I knew she would fight it. I know that I have to lie to her to get her to leave. I forgot that the blind Earth-bending girl could tell if I was lying.

"There is no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader," I hear Longshot say. I had never heard him speak until now. I weakly turned to face the group I had grown so close to in the past few days.

"Don't worry, Katara, I'll be fine," I say weakly. I know this is a lie. I hope that they don't. Just before the door closed, I heard the blind girl.

"He's lying," she had said sadly. I had heard Katara cry.

I watched as Longshot, one of my best friends, knocked an arrow. _This really is the end, _I think. "Smellerbee," I say. "Longshot… Never give up…. Never stop fighting," I manage to say.

Smellerbee's eyes are filled with tears. Even Longshot is about to cry. I know that what he is about to do will haunt him for the rest of his life. I don't want it to, but I know it'll be better for all of us in the long run if he does this.

As I lay dying, I keep thinking of Katara. She has her whole life ahead of her, and that pleases me. I can die a happy man knowing that she will grow old and be happy. I hear the twang of an arrow leaving its bow. I take one last look at my two best friends before barely feeling the arrow hit me square in the chest. My eyes close, and I breathe no more.

**Depressing, no? Hope you enjoyed! Bye all!**


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